Question Number: 30618

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/18/2016

RE: Elite Under 19

Bill of Guilford, CT USA asks...

Showboating.

Just refereed a U18 game. Score was 6-0 by half time.

Second half 'Neymar' (who is on the winning team) decides to show off his tricks. Literally rainbowed a defender. Next sequence did the double foot grab behind the head and over the defender. There were a few more of these.

I didn't call anything, but was fuming. I wanted to pull a yellow for Unsporting Behavior (Law 12) but each time 'Neymar' was moving in line towards the goal when we pulled these tricks.

Any thoughts on showboating?

Thanks,
Bill
therubbishreferee.com

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bill
Please do not do anything that is connected with skill. Skills is a vanishing part of the game and we must do everything to ensure that those with unique skills are not discouraged. Indeed we have to ensure that opponents who may be also *fuming* do not take retribution against the player. By all means take action against the player that steps across the line of mocking, taunting etc.
Have a look at this video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zgM8_2v4ZXg
To me it is joy to watch super skills in the game. The game has become too sterile and for many the admission fee is just not worth it.
Now I would take a dim view of nonsense play in a one sided game where the player is abusing opponents such as taunting, laughing, doing silly thing such as lying down, doing keepy uppys etc. Those are not skills related to the game and should be dealt with. A player though using skill to go past an opponent should not be sanctioned.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Bill,
We need to be careful to separate 'unsporting' from 'distasteful'. While he may not have been acting in a particularly sporting manner, it doesn't mean he's crossed the line into cautionable 'unsporting' behaviour.

It does leave the referee in a precarious position though, as he now needs to keep a close eye on that player, even behind play, in case an opponent takes exception to his antics - at this age group I would be surprised if an opponent doesn't try to flatten him!

If 'Neymar' starts to cross the line into laughing at or mocking his opponents, then you can deal with that - but a stern word to start would typically be the way to go.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Bill, there isn't an actual offence of 'showboating' as per the Laws of the Game. Things such as Ref McHugh mentions might possibly come under the USB category 'shows a lack of respect for the game' but even then I'd be looking for something fairly egregious before cautioning and would probably warn the player first.

As for using a rainbow or over-the-head donkey kick to get the ball past an opponent, I would concur with Ref McHugh that these should not be penalised.